Up to sixty percent of people admitted to acute mental health services in Australia present with a clinically significant co-occurring drug and/or alcohol problem. These individuals experience poorer health outcomes when compared to the general population and to those people who have a mental illness but have no co-morbid alcohol and drug problems.Anecdotal evidence also suggests that many nurses working in the area do not have the knowledge and skills and confidence to work effectively with this patient population.Drug and alcohol assessment tools, considered the gold standard, generally assess only one substance at a time or provide little specific information on the particular substance of use or abuse. An amended version of the World Health Organisation, (WHO) AlcoholSmoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test Version 3 (ASSIST V3.0) and associated brief interventions was implemented following an in-vivo education program at an acute mental health inpatient unit in Western Australia. This before and after intervention" study utilised a self-rating questionnaire and a knowledge quiz to assess nurses" knowledge of drug and alcohol issues as well as their level of confidence to work with people who have a mental illness and co-occurring drug and alcohol problems. Translation of acquired knowledge into patient care was also evaluated through a review of patient medical records.Significant improvement in nurses" knowledge was reported along with increased clinical confidence and skills to identify, assess, and manage this group of patients and to provide them with information and referral to appropriate agencies in the community.

Engaging in research and using evidence based practice are essential for mental health nurses to provide quality nursing care to consumers and families. This paper reports on a Delphi study that identified the top ten mental health nursing research priorities at one area health service in Australia servicing a population of 840,000 people. Initially 390 research questions were identified by nurses and these were then reduced to 56 broader questions. Finally, the top ten questions were ranked in order of importance. The priority questions were clinically and professionally focused and included research into the delivery and organisation of mental health services and the need to design and evaluate new practice paradigms for nurses in the primary care setting. The mental health knowledge and skill set of graduates from Australian comprehensive nursing programs along with improved recruitment and retention of graduates in mental health were also identified priority areas for research.

Engaging in research and using evidence based practice are essential for mental health nurses to provide quality nursing care to consumers and families. This paper reports on a Delphi study that identified the top 10 mental health nursing research priorities at one area health service in Australia servicing a population of 840,000 people. Initially 390 research questions were identified by nurses and these were then reduced to 56 broader questions. Finally, the top 10 questions were ranked in order of importance. The priority questions were clinically and professionally focussed and included research into the delivery and organisation of mental health services and the need to design and evaluate new practice paradigms for nurses in the primary care setting. The mental health knowledge and skill set of graduates from Australian comprehensive nursing programmes along with improved recruitment and retention of graduates in mental health were also identified priority areas for research.